According to O’Brien, he was never in the running for the gig, despite what some prognosticators were saying in the lead-up to the final decision. “I wasn’t up for it. “I’m very happy where I am,” he said of his current home on TBS. “But I love Stephen. I think Stephen is great. I’m a huge fan of his as a comic and as a human being. I think it’s fantastic. I’m really glad that he got the job. I look forward to seeing his show.”

For once, O’Brien seemed simply relieved not to be at the center of a late night shake-up story.